Another milestone for Edmonton's Stantec Tower

The Stantec Tower celebrated the topping-off of the structure’s commercial half Friday after crews poured a giant slab of concrete that will support the upper condominium development.

The 725,000-kg transfer slab poured over 30 hours last week sits 125 metres in the air above the 29th floor, forming a foundation for what is essentially a second residential building on top of the office tower, Stantec senior vice-president Keith Shillington said Friday.

The 37-storey condominium section is about half as wide as the offices, so it needs extra support to provide balance, he said.

“This is the first time … in Edmonton it’s been done, and not very often (elsewhere) in Canada, because most tall buildings are done as one width.”

Steel outrigger beams rise up several floors from the two-metre-thick slab to give more stability, he said.

The tower will be 66 storeys high when it’s finished in 2019. Only six Canadian skyscrapers, all in Toronto, will be taller.

A restaurant and offices for such companies as Stantec, financial services company PricewaterhouseCoopers and Dentons law firm will take up the commercial section, where tenants start moving in next October.

The upper Sky Residences will have 483 condominiums as well as an outdoor patio, fireplaces and barbecues, a hot tub, kitchen, fitness centre, billiards room and other amenities.

Residential occupancy begins in 2019.

Coun. Scott McKeen said he’s pleased to see Edmonton’s once “lamentable” downtown being revitalized, mentioning video game maker Bioware’s recently announced plan to move to the city core from the suburbs.

“In large part it’s because it’s now where all the cool kids want to be. Part of that is because of Rogers Place, the Ice District, and soon we will have the tallest tower in Western Canada.”

The ICE District construction site is seen from Stantec Tower in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday, November 17, 2017. The building’s commercial level was recently topped off.

Ian Kucerak /

Postmedia

The Ice District is seen from Stantec Tower in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday, November 17, 2017. The building’s commercial level was recently topped off.